A Little Bit of Everything

Everyday, there's a little bit of laughter, a little bit of tears, a little bit of chaos, and a little bit of sweetness.  I can't say that this has been an easy season for me.  Between Ryder's tantrums, Finley's sensitivity, and Daley's feeding schedule, sometimes it feels like everyone needs me all at once.  I've been all too aware of my own selfishness when so often I want to scream uncle and drive my car to a very far town where nobody knows who I am.  This mothering thing is definitely a challenge, but as Gary Thomas writes, "a life full of challenge is a soul-forming life." I'm thankful for the way God enriches me through each of my kids both with the laughter and the tears.  And, whenever I do take a chance to stop and smell the peanut butter, I realize that overall, I live a really blessed life...

Finley is super busy nursing and changing a few of her stuffed animals, and still has time for soccer and preschool.  While Grammy was in town, she worked with Fin on an owl sewing project. She was very proud of herself and now has a new animal buddy to carry around.  We also got to go with Grammy to the Hot Air Balloon festival where we saw over 20 hot air balloons glowing over a large field and an incredible sunset. She climbed in one of the basket carriers for a picture (below).  I love nightime with Fin.  Last night, she said, "I need some mama time," which absolutely made my day.  We really enjoy reading stories together, especially ones about Jesus.  She says the sweetest prayers for our friends and her stuffed animals. She has such a big heart and a lot of passion...sometimes more passion than I know what to do with. 

Lately Ryder is reminding me of Denis the Menis with his innocent creativity.  I have found him scribbling large pictures on the wall with a purple marker (thank goodness for the washable kind), stuffing the toilet with a whole roll of wadded up toilet paper, and sitting on the floor naked in his bedroom covered in Desitin.  He is definitely experimenting with household products, and my patience.  I am very proud of him as he has practically potty trained himself, and was able to start preschool with sissy.  Superhero underoos have made an exciting introduction to our home, and I couldn't be more thrilled to see him in them. Sweet and incredibly stubborn...that little blue eyed boy is defiinitely one of a kind. 

 

Daley is working on her boxing moves, likely to prepare for her siblings (smart girl).  She still reminds us so much of Fin, especially when we dress her in Fin's old clothes. I look at that girl everyday and think, 'how in the world did God give me such beautiful little girls.' She is especially soft right now.  I love snuggling with her every night because she is like a brand new teddy bear. Her head fits right into the curve of my neck and her little feet curl up against my belly.  I'm treasuring it now because I know how quickly they grow out of the perfect snuggling size.  She's already very social. Whenever I have her on my lap and casually look down, her eyes light up and she gives me an enormous smile.  I love how she sticks out her tongue when she smiles like she feels nothing but pure joy. 

Ted and I just celebrated our 9 year anniversary.  To celebrate, we played 9 holes of frisbee golf and then had dessert at a local fondue resturant.  We also got to spend a weekend in Aspen with Daley, while the kids played with Grammy and Pappou. It was my first trip to Aspen.  I was amazed at the breathtaking scenery and the cute little town.  We were really blessed to have the time to eat breakfast, stroll around the outdoor shopping area, and hike up to Crater Lake. I dont remember the last time we have been able to talk that much.  We talked about random things like high school and old friends, and we also spent a lot of time dreaming about the plans of the home we are going to remodel.  When Ted and I got married 9 years ago, we still had a lot to learn about love, compromise, unity.  We've grown a little since then, but most of all, we've learned that life is just messy because we are messy (and selfish) people.  This journey has not been easy, but I believe it has been soveriegn.  God knew what he was doing when this freckle face girl met up with the Greek from Chicago to do a little water skiing at camp.  We thought we were just getting excercise, but God had something bigger in mind.  I used to think that I would know I'm in God's will if life felt smooth.  I'm realizing that ease is not a measure of God's involvement because sometimes His greatest blessings lie at the end of a rocky road.